An Angel's Sight
by abbyli
Summary: It's senior year at Hollywood Arts and everyone is excited for the upcoming prom and graduation. But then the death of a beloved student rocks the school. As the police seek justice, friends seek comfort in eachother. *ON HIATUS*
1. Gone

**~~~Gone~~~**

Tori took the stairs two at a time as she went to her locker. She opened her locker and practically threw her books in before slamming it shut.

"Well, someone's in a bad mood."

Tori turned. Beck walked toward her. He leaned against the locker and offered her a cheery smile. "What's wrong?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your ex." She sighed and slung her book bag over her shoulder. The two started down the hallway toward their Drama class.

"What did she do now?"

"This." They paused outside the door. Tori opened her book bag and pulled out a textbook. "Notice anything?"

Beck flipped through it then shrugged. "Looks fine to me."

"Every other page is missing." She dropped the textbook back into her bag. "I let her borrow it for one of her classes – don't even ask me why. Apparently she got bored and happened to have a pair of scissors with her."

"That's typical." Beck opened the door. "Sorry. I know she can be a little obnoxious sometimes."

"Especially when you're dating her former boyfriend." Tori walked into the room. Beck followed her to a seat in the front row.

"Tonight should cheer you up, at least," Beck said.

She smiled. "Definitely." Beck put his arm around her waist and she rested her head against his shoulder. "Our Senior prom – that should be exciting."

"Hopefully Sinjin doesn't show up in those tight clothes again." He shivered. "There's something I don't need to see again."

Tori laughed.

"Aha! I got a laugh out of you. I knew I could."

Tori rolled her eyes. Beck leaned in and kissed her.

The door opened again, and behind them, someone scoffed. "Get a room." Beck and Tori parted as Jade walked past them. She set her own book bag down in the row behind the young couple.

Before either Beck or Tori could reply, Sikowitz came into the classroom. "Good morning, class!"

"Good morning!" Cat replied.

"Well, glad to know that one person's awake," Sikowitz said. "Alright, everyone. Drive by acting exercise. You're all mystical creatures in a magical forest. Action!"

That afternoon, after school, Beck walked with Tori to her car, hand-in-hand.

"Andre invited us to join Cat, Robbie, Jade, and him at that new Italian restaurant downtown. It's right by _Cloud 9,_ where prom is being held."

"Jade will be there?" Tori looked at him warily. "Is that really a good idea?"

Beck sighed. "We can't avoid her our entire lives. So, are you in?"

"Sure. What time are they meeting?"

"Seven. What time do you want picked up?"

"Actually, I'll meet you there," Tori responded. "Trina is sick and contagious, so it's probably best if you don't stay at the house."

"She's contagious?" Beck repeated. He took a step back.

Tori rolled her eyes. "I've been either locked away in my room or at Cat's house for the past two weeks," she replied. "Trust me, babe, if you were going to get sick from me, you'd be sick already."

"Alright, alright."

They stopped just outside her car. Beck took her in his arms. "I love you," he said. He kissed her.

It was long lasting – the type of kiss that left them breathless when they finally parted. "I love you, too," she replied softly. She reluctantly unwrapped herself from Beck's arms. "I'll see you tonight."

He smiled. "It's a date."

She got ready at Cat's house that evening.

"Thanks for letting me get ready here," Tori said. She sighed. "My parents are trying really hard to keep me healthy – they said something about not being able to afford the medical bill if two of us were sick at the same time."

"No problem. So what are you going to wear tonight?" Cat asked. She took a seat on the bed, pulling her legs up underneath her.

"This."

The dress Tori held up was short and strapless. The top half was white, and the bottom black. It was ruffled at the bottom.

"Tori, it's gorgeous," Cat said. "Put it on, put it on."

"I am, I am." Tori disappeared into the bathroom.

"Are you nervous for tonight?" Cat asked.

"Why would I be nervous?" Tori answered through the bathroom door.

"I don't know. The neighborhood over there isn't the best. I've heard a lot of rumors."

Tori poked her head out the door. "From Jade?"

Earlier that afternoon, Jade had overheard Robbie and Cat discussing prom and after-prom. She had decided to use the opportunity to tell the obviously-fictional story of the young couple who disappeared on prom night a few years before. Their bodies, she said, were never found.

Tori laughed. "Cat, you don't actually believe Jade, do you?"

She was quiet a moment. "No," she answered finally.

"Good." She stepped out of the bathroom. "Will you zip this?"

Finally, she was ready. Her dress hugged her body tightly, revealing every slight curve in her figure. Her hair fell in small curls at her shoulders and her high-heeled shoes gave her at least another three inches toward her height.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Great." Cat smiled. "Beck won't know what hit him."

Tori glanced at the clock. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? We have to be at the restaurant in half an hour."

"Robbie had rehearsal for some play he's doing. It's not through the school. But anyway, he and I are going to be there later – probably around seven thirty," Cat replied.

"Alright." Tori picked up her keys and cell phone. "Well, I'm off then. I have to stop and get gas first." She gave a short wave. "See you later."

When Beck arrived at the restaurant, he was greeted by a kind hostess with a bright smile. "How many this evening, sir?"

"I'm meeting a group here. I think the name is under Andre Harris."

"Right." She scanned a list of names, then turned. "This way, please."

Beck followed her toward the back of the restaurant, where two tables had been pushed together. Jade and Andre were the only ones there.

"Beck! Hey, how's it going?" Andre greeted him.

Beck pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat. The hostess set a menu in front of him.

"Pretty good. Sorry I'm late – traffic was terrible." He looked around the table. "Where is everyone else?"

"Robbie got held up at rehearsal, but he and Cat should be here soon. Tori…well, I don't know where Tori is."

"And I really don't care," Jade added. She studied her menu carefully, ignoring Beck's glare.

Beck glanced at the clock. Seven twenty. He stood. "I'll call Tori to see where she is."

"She got ready at Cat's place, right?" Andre asked.

Beck paused. He thought a moment, then nodded.

"So she's probably with Cat. Just relax. I'm sure she's fine."

Jade glanced up from her menu. "Well, you're wrong about one thing." She nodded toward the door. "She's definitely not with Cat."

Beck turned and Andre looked up. Cat and Robbie were walking toward the table. Tori was nowhere to be seen.

"I'll be back," Beck said. He walked away from the table, already dialing Tori's number.

The phone went straight to voicemail.

Beck tried to call her cell phone several times before finally resorting to calling her house. Trina answered on the third ring. "What?" she asked. Her voice was raspy and hoarse.

"Trina, is Tori home?"

Trina sighed. "May I ask who is calling?"

"Trina, you know who this is," Beck replied.

"I know. I'm a sick girl – I need some entertainment."

"I don't see how that's entertainment for you, but whatever. Is she home or not?"

"She hasn't been home all afternoon." Trina sighed, obviously growing bored of the conversation. "I can take a message, though."

"I don't need to leave a message, I need to find her. She hasn't shown up at the restaurant and – and I don't know why I'm telling you about this." Beck sighed and ran a hand over his face wearily. "I have to go."

"See ya." Trina disconnected the call.

Beck shook his head. He definitely pitied anyone living anywhere close to Trina. He sighed in resignation and returned to the table, where everyone was already eating their meal.

"Hey, did you get hold of her?" Robbie asked.

"No. Her phone is off and she isn't at home." He glanced at the clock. "I'm going to go look for her."

"Where are you going to go?" Jade asked. She set down her fork. "Face the facts. You got stood up. Let it go."

"She wouldn't just not show up to something, Jade," Andre said. He looked at Beck. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, it's fine." Beck put on his suit jacket. "I'll meet you all at the dance."

No one heard from her the entire night.

Beck skipped the dance. Instead, he went to the Vegas to check with Tori's parents. Once again, Trina answered the door.

"If you're so sick, why are you the only one answering the door or the phone?" Beck asked as he stepped inside.

She shrugged. "Mom's on the phone with a family friend, trying to find Tori, and Dad's on the phone with the police. Pretty sure that leaves me to answer the door." She slammed the door shut and went down the hall.

Beck walked into the living room. Mrs. Vega was sitting on the couch, her eyes red and her cheeks tear-stained. Mr. Vega was just hanging up his cell phone, ending his call with the police.

"Did they find anything, or are they even going to do anything at this point?" Beck asked.

"Well, it took some coercing, but they've agreed to search for her." He walked out of the living room and toward the door. He removed his keys from their hook by the door. "I'm going to go help. You're welcome to wait here. They said they would call if they found anything." He glanced at his wife. "I think she needs someone here with her right now."

"I'll stay," Beck promised. "Good luck."

Mr. Vega opened the door. "Thanks."

Hours passed by. Ten o'clock came and went, then eleven, and finally, midnight. Sometime within that time span, Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat showed up, all anxiously awaiting any news.

Trina came down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "They haven't called yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Mrs. Vega said softly. She let out a shaky breath. "This just isn't like her. Something's wrong. Something – something's very wrong here."

"I'm sure she's fine, Mom." Trina took a seat on the couch. "You know how she is – always the drama queen. She's probably enjoying the attention."

Beck raised his eyebrows. "Tori? A drama queen? Are we talking about the same person?"

"Yeah. Are you sure you aren't getting yourself mixed up with your sister?" Robbie asked.

Trina opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the phone. Mrs. Vega snatched it up immediately. "Did you find her?"

From their positions on the couch, the others watched Mrs. Vega's expressions carefully. They watched as her skin turned almost chalk-white. They watched as her face slowly crumbled and a new set of tears trickled down her cheeks. And they watched as the phone fell from her shaking hands.

"Mom? Mom, what happened?" Trina asked. She went to her mother's side. "Mom?"

Mrs. Vega took a shaky breath. "She's dead."


	2. Grief

**~~~Grief~~~**

_It was a cool evening. The calm before the storm, as some would say. Beck and Tori were lying on the damp grass, staring up at the stars above. In the distance, the low rumble of thunder could be heard, but they ignored it. _

"_Do you believe in love at first sight?" Beck asked. _

_Tori smiled. "Absolutely." She turned to look at him. "Why do you ask?" _

_He shrugged. "Just wondering," he answered. _

_She moved closer to him. "That's a strange thing to 'just be wondering' about." _

"_Well, there's this girl…" he began. He pulled Tori closer. "She's quite beautiful, if I do say so myself." _

"_Oh, really?" _

"_Yeah." Beck caressed her cheek gently. "And I think I may have fallen hopelessly in love with her." _

_Tori closed her mouth over his in a gentle kiss. "I love you, too, babe. I love you, too." _

It was the first time Beck told Tori he loved her. He remembered everything about that night. He remembered how her hand felt in his own as they lay on the firm ground with their fingers entwined with one another. He remembered the way their clothes clung to them as they ran through the storm to shelter.

Most of all, he remembered the way her smile broke through the darkness from the storm and made everything alright.

As he lay in his bed that evening, this memory, among others, reeled through his mind like an old film.

He was lying on his side, facing a small bedside table. On it sat a red corsage he was to give to Tori on prom night. It remained in its plastic case, untouched.

_She didn't deserve it,_ he thought.

He turned away from the corsage and instead took to staring at the dull ceiling. He closed his eyes and clutched his chest in silent misery as he waited for the pain to go away.

Hollywood Arts was buzzing, as usual. Now, however, the talk was quite different than before.

"Did you hear what happened?"

"Who could do such a thing?"

"It's such a tragedy. A month before graduation, too."

As Tori's friends walked down the hallway, they were greeted by hushed voices that often stopped abruptly as they approached. They kept their gazes down, avoiding the stares of the other students until they were safe within their classroom.

"I can't believe she's gone," Cat whispered.

Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat took their seats at the back of the room. Robbie put his arm around Cat as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

"Just a few days ago, we were planning our graduation parties," Andre said. He kicked at his book bag lightly. It fell over, spilling textbooks out of it and onto the floor. He let them be.

"Now her family is arranging a funeral." Jade sighed. "I'm actually feeling terrible for cutting up her textbook now."

Robbie looked at her curiously. "That's the _only_ thing you're regretting right now?"

Jade glared. "Just…never mind." She looked around the room. "Where is Beck?"

As if on cue, the door opened and Beck walked in. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before. His face was pale and showed obvious signs of exhaustion. He groped for his chair before sinking into it.

Softly, Cat said, "He seems so…"

"Lost," Jade finished.

In the front row, Beck sighed and leaned back in his chair. His expression was blank as he stared straight in front of him, waiting for class to start.

"We should ask him to sit with us," Andre whispered.

"Why?" Jade responded.

"Jade, just for once, can you show some sympathy?" Andre stood and walked over to Beck. He tapped him on the shoulder. Beck jumped slightly, startled.

"Hey, man. How's it going?"

Beck turned back to the front. "I've been better," he answered.

"Why don't you sit with us?" Andre asked, nodding behind him toward the others.

Beck shook his head. "I don't know." He snuck a glance toward the chair beside him – the chair where, on any other day, Tori would be sitting.

Andre turned toward the others and motioned for them to move up a few rows. Andre took a seat on the right side of Beck, keeping the chair on Beck's left empty. The others moved up, filling in empty chairs.

"You look horrible," Jade said bluntly.

"Jade," Andre responded warningly.

"What? It's true." She took a sip of her coffee before settling down in her seat. "Were you up half the night or something?"

"The entire night, actually." He wearily ran a hand through his hair. "I can't even close my eyes without seeing her. It's like…like a dream. Unreal. It's like she should be walking through that door any minute now."

But of course she didn't. Instead, Sikowitz entered the room. For the first time, he was quiet as he walked to his place at the front of the room. He took a seat on the stool. His eyes fell on the empty chair in the front row. He shook his head and muttered something under his breath before sighing heavily.

"Dive by acting exercise," he said. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Get ready."

"That was the most depressing class with Sikowitz I've ever been in," Robbie said.

"I've never seen Sikowitz so…out of it," Jade said.

Andre sighed as he set his food down on an empty table. He heavily sank into a seat. "Shows that it takes a short amount of time to make a long-lasting impression on someone. Two years here and Tori managed to change the lives of almost every student and staff member here."

"It's an amazing thing."

For several minutes, the group ate in silence. The only sound was the occasional chirp of nearby birds, or the quiet babble of fellow students. The quiet was broken, reluctantly, by Robbie.

"Do they know how she died?"

"Gunshot." Andre took a bite of his sandwich. "The police think there was a struggle before she was shot because of multiple scratches and a few broken bones. She eventually died from a single shot to the head from a pistol of some kind. The gun wasn't found."

"Why did whoever it was attack her in the first place?" Cat asked.

Andre, Robbie, and Jade looked at Cat oddly.

"Well, Cat…her dress was torn and left unzipped, and it wasn't even pulled up all the way." Andre looked pointedly at her. "Put two and two together."

The group shuddered in unison.

They continued with their meal. Andre glanced up. "Beck's coming."

Beck looked even worse than he had only hours before in their Drama class. He kept his eyes low toward the ground, avoiding the gazes of other students. As he walked past, voices became hushed as curious eyes followed his every move.

"I'm going to kill the person responsible for murdering Tori," he muttered as he sank into a seat next to Andre.

"Not if the Vegas reach the killer first."

Another silence followed Robbie's words. It was only broken by the dismissing bell. The group gathered their barely touched food and threw it away.

"Hey, why don't we all meet back at my place tonight?" Andre said. "Maybe have a movie night, or a game night."

"Or both," Robbie said.

"That sounds fun!" Cat said. "We should totally get together."

But Beck was shaking his head. "There's something I have to do tonight." He slung his book bag over his shoulder.

"What could you possibly be doing tonight?" Jade asked.

He ignored her and instead pushed through the door to his next class.

That night, while Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat met for a game and movie night, Beck got into his truck and began to drive. He didn't have a destination, but he knew he had to go somewhere.

He drove past Hollywood Arts.

_She's gone._

Past the café where they had their first date.

_She didn't deserve it._

He pressed harder on the gas pedal.

Over the past few days, the pain from the everlasting grief seemed to worsen. Just when he thought it was beginning to go away, he would see or hear something that reminded him of her.

Beck tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He continued driving.

Twenty minutes later, he found himself in the same area his girlfriend had been found in only days before.

It was a popular hangout for teens, and was often used by others for camping. At one time, it was the number-one place for teen romance, with its perfect view of sunset as it fell over the surprisingly crystal-clear, peaceful water. Now, however, the entire camping ground and lake was closed, and half of it was blocked off by investigators.

Beck sank down to the ground, next to one of the many towering trees. He leaned his head back against the trunk and closed his eyes. All of the stress and grief, anger and hatred that had been built up inside him finally caught up to him, and for the first time in days, he completely broke down and cried.


	3. Not The Only One

**~~~Not The Only One~~~**

_Baby, you need to get up."_

Beck shook his head slowly.

"_You aren't safe here." Someone gently caressed his cheek. "You need to leave."_

He jerked awake, breathing heavily. "Tori?" he said.

But of course she was not there. He ran a hand over his face before straightening up slowly. He looked around. He was still at the campground. _Must have fallen asleep, _he thought. He glanced at his phone, checking the time. He had been gone for over an hour now.

He stood and stretched before digging through his pockets for his keys. He stopped still as a deep voice suddenly said, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Beck turned. He found himself facing a tall, brawny man with mussed dark hair and piercing blue eyes. But what stood out most were the scars on the left side of his face – one that ran from his left eye to the tip of his chin and two smaller ones that stopped halfway down his cheek. It was almost as if…

"What, are you deaf? What are you doing here?" The man stepped forward. "This is a crime scene, if you haven't noticed. No one but the investigators assigned to this case are allowed anywhere near this place."

Beck took a step back. "I – I'm sorry. I was just – "

"Get out of here."

Something about the man's tone of voice was enough to convince Beck he obviously meant business. Beck half-walked, half-ran back to his truck, never once looking back.

"Right hand…red," Cat said.

Groans were released as the others reached over one another to place their hand on an empty dot.

"I can't find an empty space!" Robbie said. "Wait – wait – found one!"

"Ow!" Jade exclaimed. "Robbie, _get your hand off of me._"

"Sorry!"

Suddenly, there was a loud scream before the group collapsed in a pile on the Twister mat.

"Way to go, Robbie," Jade snarled, though her voice came out muffled from underneath the others.

"Play again?" Cat asked, though the question came out more as a statement than anything else.

Andre stood and brushed himself off. "I don't know." He glanced at Robbie and Jade, who were just standing up. "I think this is about to get pretty violent."

"Fine," Cat pouted. She walked toward the closet. "I'll pick another game."

"And I'll pick another movie," Robbie said, but Jade grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"After that _lovely_ experience of playing Twister with you?" She shook her head and started toward the shelf holding the movies. "I'm picking."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Andre started up the stairs. "Don't kill each other while I'm gone!" he called.

"No promises!" Jade replied.

Andre shook his head. He closed the basement door behind him then went to the front door and swung it open. Beck stood in front of him.

His clothes, Andre noticed, were dirty and reeked of some unknown substance. He looked drawn and haggard. His eyes, however, held a new brightness – something they had seldom seen in the past few days.

"Hey, man." Andre looked him over. "What happened to you? Where have you been?"

"The lake. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Andre stepped back as Beck stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "Everyone else is downstairs, if you – "

"I heard Tori's voice."

For a moment, Andre was speechless. Finally, he said, "I think you were out too long, or you haven't gotten enough sleep…"

"No. No, no, I'm serious." Beck took a deep breath. "She - she was there. I swear, she was there."

Andre sighed. He nodded toward the living room. "Let's sit down."

Once the two were settled down in the living room, Andre said, "Now, tell me what happened."

Beck leaned back in his chair and repeated every detail. When he finished, he asked, "What do you think?"

Andre raised his eyebrows. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I think you're exhausted." He sighed. "You and I both know you've barely gotten four hours worth of sleep since they found her body. The effects of the lack of sleep are finally catching up with you."

"I know what I heard."

Silence fell heavily in the room. Suddenly, the two heard the basement door slam shut. Jade stormed into the living room. "Andre Harris, if you don't do something about Robbie, I swear…" she broke off as she met Beck's eyes. "Oh. I didn't realize you were here."

"I was just leaving," he replied.

"You should stay," Jade said. She smiled. "It might be just what you need."

But Beck was already preparing to leave. "Thanks for the offer, but I should be getting home." He started toward the door. Jade followed. Just as Beck reached for the doorknob, her voice stopped him. "You're not the only one grieving, you know."

He stopped dead in his tracks. From his position on the couch, Andre stood slowly and walked toward the two. Beck turned as Jade continued.

"Tori's entire family is grieving right now. They're going through pure hell trying to determine who could do such a sickening act to their youngest daughter. They're planning a funeral when they should be preparing to celebrate a graduation." She stepped forward, only inches away from Beck.

Andre cleared his throat. "Jade, don't…"

"I know you're hurting. I know this is painful for you. But you aren't alone, and you need to realize that."

Beck scoffed. "Aren't you one to be talking?" he said. He opened the door. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

"You're surrounded by people who know exactly what you're going through. They're going through the _same exact thing._ You aren't going to get through this alone, no matter what you think." She shrugged. "But go on and do whatever you want."

Jade started down the hallway, toward the stairs leading to the basement.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Beck asked.

Jade turned around. "At this point, you've got two options. You can walk through that door and go your own way. You can lie in bed tonight and spend yet another sleepless night alone and miserable."

Jade tilted her head slightly as she put her hands on her hips firmly. "Or you can stay here. Stay here where you're surrounded by people that can relate to your very situation. It's your call." She disappeared downstairs.

For a long moment, Beck and Andre stood, alone, by the front door.

"So what are you going to do?" Andre asked finally.

Beck sighed. His grip on the doorknob tightened. His thoughts ran through his mind like a whirlwind. _I hate it when she's right,_ he thought. He turned to Andre. "I'll stay," he said.

Andre grinned. "Great!" He patted Beck on the back as the two started to go toward the basement. "I promise – you won't regret it."

The funeral was held several days later.

Hollywood Arts was closed the Friday of the funeral, allowing students to attend the funeral. A majority of the students and staff showed up.

It was a time to laugh, and a time to cry. Most of all, it was a time to celebrate the life of Victoria Vega. Several people shared stories and memories of the short time they had with her.

After the funeral, the Vegas invited Beck, Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat to their house. They all agreed.

Mrs. Vega provided cookies and cold glasses of lemonade, much to Beck's approval.

The Vega's home was somewhat gloomy. Housework remained neglected; paperwork and police reports littered the cabinets, and sympathy cards piled up on the table.

Mr. Vega kept to himself. He spent most of his time in his and Mrs. Vega's bedroom on the phone with one person or another.

Mrs. Vega tried her best to stay busy. If she didn't, she knew she would completely break down. She needed to stay distracted. Even so, she was more often than not caught with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks as she worked around the house.

The person in front of the group now, however, was completely different.

"That was a lovely service," Mrs. Vega said. She set a plate of cookies in front of the group. "So many people showed up."

"I know." Andre took a bite of a cookie. "Over half the school had to have been there."

Mrs. Vega smiled as she took a seat at the table. "She was definitely loved – that's one thing we know for sure."

Suddenly, the home telephone rang. "I've got it!" someone called from upstairs. The ringing stopped abruptly.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming," she continued. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "It really meant a lot."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Cat said. She smiled. "Ooh, I just got an idea! We should have something at school in Tori's honor. Maybe a dance, or maybe we could make a memorial of some kind and everyone signs it or something. Or – " she broke off as Mr. Vega came downstairs.

"Hey, Mr. Vega. How's it going?" Andre asked.

He sighed. "I've been better," he muttered. He turned to his wife. "Detective Hanson, the investigator in charge of the case, called."

Mrs. Vega stood quickly. "Did they find something? Someone? Anything? Please say they've found something."

"They found someone. They've found their first witness – and a suspect."


	4. Birthday Sadness

**~~~Birthday Sadness~~~**

The night Tori's body had been found, a news report had been broadcasted to all of Los Angeles. Anyone who knew anything was asked to come forward with any information they may have. Almost a week later, two witnesses came forward.

The first was an elderly woman. She had been at the gas station Saturday evening. She vaguely remembered hearing someone scream. She glanced out the door but only caught a glimpse of a dark green van peeling out of the parking lot.

"Did you get a license plate number, or notice anything…_different_…about the van?" an investigator inquired.

"It had a large dent in the back on the driver's side. I didn't see a license plate." She shrugged. "They may have lifted the tags."

The second was a young man with a heavy southern accent and a great willingness to help. He was a clerk at the gas station, and was the only person to come forward who claimed to have seen the face of the attacker. He was immediately taken to a sketch artist, where investigators were given their first suspect.

The man described had dark hair and a very muscular build. His eyes were wide and distinctly stood out. The only facial characteristic noticeable was a bushy mustache.

The investigators thanked the man, who responded with a quick "Glad to help" before leaving.

That night, the sketch was shown on every news station in Los Angeles. Beck, Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat were eating at a nearby café when they first saw it.

"He does look kind of creepy," Jade said. She stabbed at her food with a fork.

"Just imagine…if he's the last person Tori ever saw…" Cat broke off.

"It's just disgusting," Beck spat. He took a bite of his food and glanced up at the television, where the accused killer's face showed itself to the entire city. A chill ran down his spine at the sight. But suddenly, as he took another look at the man's face, Beck realized something. He had seen that face before…not long ago…but where had he been?

"Hey, Beck," someone snapped

Beck shook his head slowly, clearing his thoughts. Jade was looking at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"We were talking about our final for Sikowitz's class. We need to come up with a scene."

"Right." He rubbed his eyes wearily. "How about – "

"A zurtle!"

Curious gazes went to Cat. "A…_zurtle?_" Jade asked incredulously.

"Yeah. My father told me a story of a zurtle long, long ago. I think it was for a bedtime story…but anyway, it's half zebra, half turtle. It's only been seen once in the past century."

"Cat, of all of the idiotic ideas you've had – "

"Jade." Andre gave her a warning glance before saying, "I think you're outvoted, Cat."

"Aw," she pouted. "But it's so cute. Are you sure..."

"It's a final, Cat. It's the last assignment we'll ever have to do in that class." He smiled. "I'd rather not do it over a zurtle." He leaned back in his chair. "As for now, here's my idea. The main character should be – "

"An angel." Beck, who had been completely silent up until this point, finally looked up from his barely-touched food. "The main character can be an angel."

The others exchanged glances. "An angel who watches over her family members and friends as they look for her killer," Andre finished.

"Isn't that a bit clichéd?" Jade asked.

"It should be easy, at least," Robbie said. He took a long sip of his drink. "It's pretty much putting all of our emotions and experiences together into a skit."

"And think about it. If Tori were still alive, she would be a part of this group," Beck continued. "Basing our main character off of her is almost like a way to keep her alive. It's…her contribution."

A long silence followed. Finally, Robbie said, "Let's do it."

Andre looked around the table for confirmation. The others nodded in agreement. "Great," he said. He pulled out his notebook and a pen. "Let's get started."

They worked for over an hour, but did not finish. "When can we all get together to finish this up?" Jade asked.

"I'm free tomorrow," Robbie said. "Well, anytime after six, that is."

"Same here," Cat said. "How about everyone else?"

"I can't tomorrow," Beck said.

"You've been awfully busy lately," Jade commented. She looked at him curiously. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"No, I just…I just need to be alone, alright? Just tomorrow." He stood and pushed in his chair. "Call me tonight, alright? I've got to go."

"No problem," Andre said. "Drive safe."

The next day at school, Beck's chair remained empty.

"This is madness," Robbie said as the group took their seats. "He can't keep skipping class or he won't be graduating with the rest of the class."

"He's still in the 'grieving process,'" Andre said. "I mean, his girlfriend was raped and murdered. Imagine losing someone you love to something as sick and cruel as murder."

"People lose loved ones every day," Jade retorted.

"Yeah, well, I don't know if you realize it or not, but today's the twenty-second."

"Yeah? So?"

Andre sighed as he dug through his backpack. He pulled out a textbook before turning to Jade. "It's Tori's eighteenth birthday."

Beck pulled up in front of a large open gate partially hidden by long vines. In the distance, the sun was setting and the sky had turned a beautiful pink. It was a wonderful evening.

He killed the engine and sat there a moment, almost in a daze. He had not slept the entire night before, and as much as he hated to admit it, his emotions had become almost unbearable. He sighed heavily and picked up the bouquet of red roses he had bought before coming to the cemetery. He stepped out of the truck, slamming the door shut behind him. He took a deep breath before walking through the gates, carefully avoiding the areas of mud along the grassy path.

Tori's grave was only a few feet away from the only tree in the entire cemetery. Beck knelt in front of her gravestone.

"Hey, Tori. The day has come – you're finally eighteen." He smiled softly. "We talked about this day for weeks. We talked about where we'd go…what we'd do…" He wiped at his eyes, silently cursing himself for giving into his emotions. "You never got the chance to do any of it. You didn't deserve it," he whispered.

The wind picked up. Beck closed his eyes. He could have sworn, then, that he felt Tori there with him. The simple thought of it seemed to bring comfort to his heavy heart.

Beck put the roses in the provided vase. He kissed the tips of his fingers and pressed them against the cold stone. "I love you, babe. Happy birthday."


	5. The Van

**~~~The Van~~~**

Over the next few weeks, investigators received several leads. Most call-ins led to a dead end. Investigators tried to remain optomistic, but they were quickly losing hope.

The Vegas, especially Tori's father, were constantly pushing the investigators to stay on the case. "Whatever it takes, do it. No matter what it costs, no matter what has to be done, I want that man found," Mr. Vega said one afternoon.

"We're doing all we can, I can assure you," Detective Hanson responded.

Still, weeks later, investigators had yet to find much. They were only days away from officially calling the case cold.

"They aren't doing enough. There's got to be something they aren't doing," Mr. Vega muttered. He paced the kitchen floor restlessly.

"There's only so much they can do," Mrs. Vega replied. She sighed as she slowly walked down the stairs, clad in pajamas and a baby blue robe with matching slippers. She entered the kitchen and took a seat. "You know I want him caught just as much as you do, but it is what it is."

"It's killing me not being on this case," he replied. He shook his head and stopped in front of the window. "Conflict of interest," he spat. "It's ridiculous. She deserves justice." He sighed. "They just aren't giving it to her," he whispered.

For a long moment, silent fell heavily on the room. It was broken by a soft voice. "Dad?"

Mr. Vega turned. Trina stood in the doorway in her pajamas with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. As their eyes met, he found himself gazing at a completely different daughter than the one he once knew. Her smile was gone, now replaced by what seemed like a permanent frown. Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes red from recent crying. Her once self-centered attitude was gone, now replaced by an everlasting grief.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said. "Is something wrong?"

"I miss Tori."

Mr. Vega exchanged glances with his wife. "We all do," he said. He took Trina in his arms. "But she's alright now. She's not suffering anymore. We can only take comfort in that thought."

Trina pulled away. "But that doesn't make what happened alright," she snapped. "People say that all the time, but it doesn't get anything done." She clenched her fists. "Is it true they're giving up? They're just going to let him...get away with it?"

"One more week," Mrs. Vega replied. "They're giving it one more week before they declare the case cold." She shrugged. "They just haven't come up with anything useful."

"They just don't care, is more like it," Trina replied.

"Trina..." Mr. Vega replied, but she stopped him.

"It's true and you know it." She glanced at the clock before turning on her heels. "Graduation starts at noon," she said. "If you're going, I'd recommend getting some sleep. They're hard enough to stay awake through even with a good night's sleep." She disappeared upstairs.

"She's right," Mrs. Vega said softly. She stood and pushed in her chair. "Beck said they're dedicating part of the ceremony to Tori. We should be there for it." She gave her husband a quick kiss. "Are you coming to bed?"

"I'll be there soon," he promised. "Just give me a few minutes."

She nodded and squeezed his hand gently before wordlessly going upstairs toward their room.

Mr. Vega returned to his place by the window. He gazed out at the brightly shining stars and beautiful full moon. As a lone star fell from the sky, he closed his eyes, allowing the memories to take over.

At eleven forty-five, the graduates lined the hallway of Hollywood Arts, waiting to file into the gymnasium. As a nameless teacher walked down the long line of students, checking and double checking the order in which they stood, Beck found himself glancing toward the end of it, expecting to see his girlfriend's beautiful smile shining back at him. Every single time he did, he was left disappointed.

Beside him, someone nudged him. The student beside him nodded to his right. Beck leaned forward and peered toward the front of the line. He met Andre's anxious eyes. "Cheer up," he mouthed.

"Yeah, right," Beck mouthed back. He leaned back against the wall.

"Look, man, it's graduation," Andre said aloud. Beck ignored him.

Andre sighed. He hesitated a moment before stepping out of line.

"Um, excuse me – " a teacher began, but Andre pushed past her. Instead, he walked toward his friend.

He laid a hand comfortingly on Beck's shoulder. "It's graduation - don't spend it moping around and mourning. You and I both know she wouldn't want that."

"Of course I know that." He looked down at his clenched fist. He opened his hand, revealing a silver charmed bracelet. Andre had helped him choose it for a graduation present for Tori weeks ago. It was one of the last things he had to remember her by. "You make it sound so easy, but it's just not," he said.

Andre sighed. "Then let someone help you through this."

Before Beck could reply, a voice broke through his thoughts. "Alright, students! Head in."

He quickly stuffed the bracelet into his pocket. Andre offered him a reassuring smile before taking his place in line.

The line began to move slowly. Beck took a shaky breath and somehow managed a genuine smile.

_This is it._

"Best graduation ceremony ever." Robby took a handful of chips out of a large bowl and crammed half of them into his mouth. He said something, but it came out mumbled.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Jade said. She handed him a napkin. "And wipe your mouth. You look pathetic."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I must admit that the sudden attack on the Senior class with whipped cream was very enjoyable," Andre said. He poured himself a drink from a two-Liter of soda. "Sikowitz was the best."

"So is this party," Robbie said. "It turned out really well. Good job with it all."

"Thanks."

Andre's house was full of guests. Around them, music blared. The sound was deafening. While some lingered inside, others made their way to the backyard, where Andre's father was cooking hamburgers and hotdogs. Everything seemed perfect.

"Andre. Hey, there you are."

He turned at the sound of his name. Beck was walking toward him with a drink in one hand, and a gift in the other.

"Hey, Beck. Glad you could make it," Andre said.

"Wouldn't miss it. Oh, and your grandma...well, your grandma's in the closet. I'm supposed to pass on the message that they need help getting her out."

Andre sighed. "Alright. I'll be back. Oh, and I'll put this with the rest," he added, taking the gift from Beck's hand.

As Andre went into the house, the others talked amongst themselves.

Jade nudged Beck lightly. "Hey, are you alright? You seemed down at the ceremony."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He took a sip of his drink before giving her a curious look. "Aren't you supposed to be at your own party? I thought it was at the same time as Andre's."

"Yeah, well, they shouldn't miss me," she responded with a shrug.

"The party is all for _you_, though," Robbie said.

"I know." She sighed. "What time is it?"

Robbie glanced at his watch. "Three o'clock."

"I'll head over there now. Is anyone else coming with me?"

"I got dropped off. Can I ride with you?" Robbie asked.

"No," she replied flatly.

"You can ride with me, Robbie," Beck replied as he sent a slight glare toward Jade. He looked around the yard. "I just need to find Andre to let him know we're heading out." He started toward the door.

"Invite him, too," Jade yelled after him. He gave a thumbs-up but continued walking.

Inside, the people filled almost every inch of space within the entire house. It was difficult for Beck to push his way through, but eventually, he made his way down the hallway. Andre was just stepping out of one of the bedrooms, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. Did you get her out finally?"

Andre grinned. "Yeah, finally. I guess so many people at the house scared her." He shrugged. "It's all good now."

"Good. Hey, I think we're going to head out. Jade's having a party, too, so I should probably stop by there. You're welcome to come if you want."

"Sure. I just need to let my parents know. Can I ride with you?"

Beck smiled as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "As long as you don't mind riding with Robbie."

"So I told him, 'Of course I want the black shirt. Why would I want to wear a yellow shirt to a funeral?' 'Well, it depends…'

Andre lightly banged his head against the window.

'…some people throw a party when someone dies, while others – "

"Robbie, please _be quiet already_," Andre snapped.

Robbie sank back in his seat. "Just thought you'd want to hear my shopping story," he muttered.

Andre shook his head slowly. He was less than four blocks from the house and he was already regretting taking a ride from Beck. From his place in the back seat, he peered out the front window. "Are we there yet?"

"What are you, three?" Beck asked. "No, of course not. Jade lives quite a ways away from your house. Then there's - "

"Watch out!" Robbie cried.

The stoplight had been green for quite some time. Beck was halfway through the intersection when the sound of squealing tires filled the air, followed by the sickening sound of crunching metal as a van collided with Beck's truck.

The truck was roughly pushed back several feet into oncoming traffic. An oncoming car slammed on their breaks, barely missing the damaged truck. The van, however, continued on.

Beck, along with Andre and Robbie, looked back and got a very clear look at the van. Dark green. No plates. Along with the new damage from the accident which just occurred, the van had a very deep dent in the back.

Robbie's eyes widened. "That - that van. That's the van from - "

"I know," Andre said.

Beck immediately turned the key into the ignition, praying it would start again. Fortunately, it did so easily. The engine roared to life. He put it in gear.

"What are you doing?" Andre asked.

Beck quickly turned the truck around. "Following that van."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi, everyone! I'm abbyli. You probably saw my name in the reviews for a novelist's post of this story. I'll be taking over this story from here. I will try to get chapter six of this story up soon. For now, enjoy this wonderful story. <strong>


	6. Parents

**~~~Parents~~~**

"Beck, this is stupid! You're going to get us killed!" shouted Robbie, looking absolutely terrified.

"Robbie, shut up!" yelled Andre.

Beck ignored the both of them, keeping at least one car length behind the van. Then he backed off to two car lengths. He could see the driver checking in his rearview mirror, looking at them. He grinned in grim triumph when he realized that the man was getting anxious and nervous. That was exactly he wanted the man to feel. He wanted this man to feel terror.

"Beck, you really need to stop this," said Andre with momentous calmness. "I've already got the license plate number. He knows that we're following him. If you have a self-destruct or a vigilante button, push it when we're not here."

Beck heard Andre's words and felt his foot slide onto the brake. He sighed and hit the turn signal, pulling onto a side road. He pulled off the road and put the car into park. He leaned his head back onto the headrest.

"You okay?" asked Robbie, leaning forward and gently placing a hand on Beck's shoulder.

Beck nodded. "Yeah. You guys all right?" he said, looking at Andre and Robbie.

"We're fine," said Andre, gently patting Beck's knee.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," said Beck, staring at his hands that were still clenched on the steering wheel.

"Why don't you let me drive home, Beck? Or, actually the hospital?" said Andre.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your head is bleeding and you're shaking like a leaf," said Andre.

Beck didn't even bother to argue with him. He climbed out of the front seat and stumbled over to the passenger's side. Andre slid over and kicked the car into gear.

* * *

><p>Beck stumbled through the front door of his RV about two hours later. He, Andre, and Robbie had taken a cab home since no one was in any shape to drive home from the ER. He had only needed a couple of stitches in his head but he was stoned on painkillers.<p>

"Beck?" A knock came at the door a couple of minutes later.

"Come in, Mom," whispered Beck, flopping down onto his bed and covering his eyes with his arm.

Donna Oliver opened up the door and stepped inside. She gasped when she saw her son's stitched up head.

"Beckett, what the hell happened to you?" she said, sitting down on the side of the bed.

"I had a little accident. Andre drove me to the hospital," said Beck.

"Beck, what happened?" Donna repeated. She stared at her son, never allowing him to look away.

Beck sat up and wrapped his arms around his mother. Donna sat there for a moment, stunned. Then she wrapped her arms around her son and cradled him like a child.

"Baby, tell me what's going on," she whispered.

Beck still didn't say anything. He just clung to his mother tighter, desperate for some comfort. Donna hugged him back, giving in and just holding him.

* * *

><p>Ross Oliver sighed, looking at his boy. "So, are you ready?" he asked quietly.<p>

Donna had managed to talk Beck into coming inside and talking to his father. Beck was slumped on the sofa, his arms crossed across his chest, glaring at his feet. Donna was seated next to him, her hand gently resting on his knee.

Beck looked up at his father. People always told him that he looked so much like his dad with dark hair and dark eyes. But their personalities were totally different. He was more like his mother with his gentle spirit and attitude.

"Beck, you've been a zombie ever since Tori's death. You need to tell us what's going on," Ross said gently.

Beck sighed, finally giving in. He looked up at his father, loosening his arms and slipping one of his hands through his mother's. The gentle pressure that Donna gave him gave him the strength to begin.

"You know that green van with the huge dent that the police were talking about?" asked Beck. Ross nodded. "I was driving Andre and Robbie home today and I was going through the stoplight. Someone was coming through the intersection and crashed into my truck."

Donna's quick intake of breath almost stopped Beck. But he continued on.

"I was the only one hurt. Andre and Robbie are okay. But the car...it was a green van. With a huge dent in the back that didn't come from the accident," he said.

"Oh, Beck..."

"I followed the van for a while, scaring the hell out of Andre and Robbie. They managed to talk me out of following him anymore and Andre drove all of us to the hospital and then we called a cab. Andre got the license plate number for the van but I'm not sure if he called a police officer. I just- It's-" Beck's voice broke.

Donna gently wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders. Ross reached forward and patted his knee. "Okay, son. It's okay."

* * *

><p>"So, that's everything that happened?" asked Officer Haylson an hour later.<p>

Beck sighed and nodded. "Yes."

Officer Haylson looked down at his notebook and the license plate cover that Andre gave him.

"We are definitely going to look into this. You did the right thing, Beck," said Officer Haylson. "All three of you kids did the right thing."

They were in the police station, talking to three officers. Andre and his father were there and Robbie and his mother were there. Beck was there with both of his parents. He hadn't let go of his mother's hand all afternoon.

"Yeah," said Andre dully.

"What you kids should do now is go home and get some rest. We _are _going to look into this. Believe me, this is not going to pushed to the corner," said another officer, Officer Vartenz.

Tori's father, Sgt. Vega stood in the corner of the room, his arms crossed so tightly across his chest it was doubtful that he would able to unwind them for several years. Beck had felt Juan Vega's eyes on him the whole night. It made him very uncomfortable and even more sad.

Finally, the police let them leave. The Oliver family was leaving together when a voice pulled them back.

"Beck?"

Beck froze at the sound of his dead girlfriend's father's voice. He slowly turned, looking up into the eyes that once belonged to Tori.

"Yeah?"

"Juan, maybe this isn't the best time," said Ross, stepping forward.

"It's okay, Dad," sighed Beck.

"We'll be right over there, honey," said Donna, finally detangling her son's fingers from her own and dragging her husband out of the room.

"What's up?" Beck asked, looking up at Mr. Vega.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, Beck, but I just need to know. Everything that you told the cops in there...is that everything? _Absolutely _everything?" asked Juan.

Beck nodded. "It was everything," he said sadly.

Juan sighed. He rubbed his fingertips across his eyes in defeat. "I'm so sorry, Beck. I know you're grieving too. It's just-"

"I understand," said Beck, interrupting him.

Juan looked at him with tears in his eyes. "I miss my daughter."

* * *

><p>Ross, Donna, and Beck got home about an hour later. Beck didn't even bother to go to his RV. He just followed his parents into the house.<p>

Donna Oliver stepped over to the linen closet and pulled out some extra blankets and pillows. She began making up the couch for Beck to sleep on.

"Honey, you can just stay here tonight. We would much rather have you here," said Donna.

Beck didn't even bother arguing with her. He walked over to the couch and sat down on it. Ross approached his son and sat down beside him. He wrapped an arm around him and kissed his temple. No words were spoken.

Ross left the room and Donna stood by her son for a second. Then she leaned over and wrapped his arms around him from behind, holding him tightly. Beck reached an arm back and placed it on his mother's shoulder. She kissed his temple and released him.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, baby?" said Donna. She was already standing at the doorway.

"Can you stay?" he whispered, sounding so much like a little boy.

Donna's heart broke for her son. "Of course, sweetie."

She sat down on the sofa and Beck laid down, his head in her lap. She stroked his hair until he fell into a fitful sleep.

Ross came downstairs about twenty minutes later when his wife didn't come up to bed. He found Donna sitting up, wide awake, her eighteen year old son's head in her lap.

"His innocence is gone," whispered Ross, looking at Donna.

Donna nodded.

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry I haven't updated since I took this over from a novelist. I wanted to show Beck depending on his parents for support and love through the rough times. I also wanted to show Beck acting like a young boy and letting his mother hold him. I'm nineteen and if I lost someone like that, I would let my parents treat me like a young girl because I would so feel like that. Death is a horrible, horrible, horrible thing. <strong>

**Reviews are loved. Let me know what you think, you wonderful people! **


	7. The Suspect

**~~~The Suspect~~~**

"Hey, Joe. Look at this," said Benni Vartenz.

"Hmm?" said his partner, Joe Haylson, looking up from the paperwork he was doing.

Vartenz was seated in front of his computer, looking at the picture on the screen. He had just finished narrowing down the searches on the license plate number that Beck Oliver had given them the night before. He finally had a positive ID of who the dented green van belonged to.

Haylson rolled his chair over and looked at the screen. His jaw dropped when he saw the photo ID.

"That can't be," he gaped.

* * *

><p>Donna jumped when the phone in the house rang. She sighed and walked over to answer it.<p>

"Hello?" she said.

"Hello, is this Donna Oliver?" said Vartenz.

"Yes, it is. Who's calling, please?"

"This is Officer Benni Vartenz. You and your husband and son spoke to me last night about the accident and such," began Vartenz.

"Oh, yeah! Do you have anything?" asked Donna.

"Actually, yes. Can you and your husband and son come down to the station right away?" asked Vartenz.

"We'll be there in ten minutes," Donna hung up the phone. "Ross!"

"What?" Ross quickly dashed in from the other room. "What's the matter?"

"The police have something. They need us and Beck down there right away," said Donna.

Ross was already out the door and heading for the RV before the words even finished leaving Donna's mouth.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we have a photo ID for you to look at, Beck," began Haylson. "Now, I know you said that you didn't really see his face. But we want you to look at this and then think about it for a bit, all right?"<p>

Beck nodded, feeling his stomach turn over in nerves. Haylson punched in a few numbers on the keyboard and a picture popped up onto the screen. Beck forced himself to look at the face and almost vomited.

He now remembered where he had seen it. It was that night when he went to the spot where Tori's body was found. Some weird looking guy had yelled at him and told him to get out of there. He had had a big mustache and bright blue eyes.

And several long scratches down the side of his face.

Tori had fought back.

But she didn't win.

"I've seen him before," Beck whispered, gripping his mother's hand for support.

"Are you sure?" asked Vartenz.

"It was a few days after you found her body. I went to the spot where she was found and...I know I wasn't supposed to do that...but some guy yelled at me to leave there. It was him. It was that man. I'm sure of it," Beck confirmed, looking back at Vartenz and Haylson.

"Could this be the man that killed Tori?" asked Ross.

"We are not sure. But we still have the DNA evidence kit. We are going to bring this man in and take some DNA off of him. If it matches, we may have gotten her killer," said Haylson.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Donna yelped impatiently, making everyone jump.

"But there is one more thing, though," added Vartenz.

"What's that?" asked Ross.

"This man, his name is Ted Carmichael. He is the brother of Jackson Carmichael, the mayor of San Fernando Valley," said Haylson.

Donna looked like she wanted to vomit. "The mayor's _brother _killed Tori?"

"We have to get the proof first," said Vartenz, looking a little apprehensive.

Beck twiddled his thumbs back and forth as he listened to the adults bickering. He couldn't think of anything useful to say. All he could think of was that maybe...just maybe...Tori's killer was going to be brought to justice.

* * *

><p>"We should tell Juan that we may have caught his daughter's killer," said Haylson later.<p>

Vartenz looked at him, alarmed. "Are you out of your mind? We will tell him after we bring him in! If we allow him to come along on the arrest, he will try to rip the guy limb from limb!"

"Well, wouldn't you want to do the same thing? What if something happened to your little boy?" Haylson said kind of cruelly.

Vartenz winced at the mention of his two year old son. "Don't say that, Joe. Just don't say that. Even though I think you're absolutely right."

"I hate that I'm right."

"Believe me. I know."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it," Cat breathed, staring at Beck's face.<p>

"That's just..." Andre's voice trailed off.

Robbie shook his head in bewilderment and revulsion. "That's disgusting.

Jade hadn't said a word through everything that Beck told them. Her inner demons were battling with each other. Yes, she had been pissed when Beck broke it off with her so he could be with Tori but she had never wished anything bad to happen to her. They had actually taken a step towards being friends several times. In truth, she missed Tori very much and would give anything to have that girl sitting with them at that very moment.

"Jade? JADE!"

"WHAT?" Jade jumped, looking at the others. Apparently they had been calling her name several times, trying to get her attention.

"You all right?" asked Andre. "You were pretty out of it."

Jade nodded. "I'm fine. Just fine. I'm...tired, that's all."

"No, you're not," said Cat from across the room. "You feel guilty."

The rest of the kids turned to stare at her. Jade scoffed at Cat's words. "Why should I feel guilty?"

"Because you treated Tori like crap ever since she arrived here, thinking that she was after Beck even though she wasn't and now she's dead. Ever since Beck told you that maybe her killer was going to be caught, you've been acting really weird. Now, I know you didn't have anything to do with her murder but you feel so guilty you might as well have," Cat said in one hurried breath.

Beck's eyes were wide with surprise. He couldn't believe these words were coming out of Cat's mouth. Cat, of all people!

Jade stood up quickly. "Cat, you know me better than I thought," She said. She grabbed her bag and turned to leave. Andre stopped her. "Get out of my way, Andre."

"You're not going anywhere, Jade. Not until you get it all out," Andre said coldly.

"You can't make me do anything," snapped Jade.

"You made me do it," said Beck. "Now it's your turn."

Jade threw down her bag in frustration. "Fine!" she shrieked, her anger and grief finally starting to eat away at her. "Fine! Don't you think I feel guilty? Don't you think I feel horrible?" she yelled. "Of course I do! I mean, I chop up her book and the next day, she's dead! I mean, how am I supposed to take that?"

"Jade-" Robbie started to interrupt but Jade ignored him.

"Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I think Tori is standing by my bed, pointing a finger at me, and saying that I killed her. I know I had nothing to do with it but that's how I feel! I know it was her all along, Beck," she added, turning towards the tall man. "She was yours all along. It was never me. I was just the safe haven or the truck stop along the way until you found the girl that was meant for you. But it still hurt. I couldn't help being a jerk about it. I know."

Beck's heart broke at that very moment. He was seeing a side of Jade that he never thought existed. It was the real her. The broken-hearted girl. The girl that was once his friend. The girl that he hoped would be his friend again.

"I'm sorry!" Jade took to kicking her bag across the room. Tears were splattering down her face and hitting her front. "I'm sorry!" Sobs cracked out of her and she covered her face. Her knees gave out and she was on the floor in a heap.

Cat rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl. Robbie kneeled down beside them and placed his hand on Jade's back. She didn't throw it off.

Andre and Beck looked at each other over the top of the other three. Andre shook his head in bewilderment and sorrow and sat down in the chair that Jade had occupied. Beck looked down at the others.

"It wasn't your fault," he said so quietly that it was surprising that everyone heard him. "It wasn't anybody's fault except the scum that killed her. For months I have been blaming myself. I should have picked her up at your house," he gestured to Cat, "Or I should have done something. Anything at all. But I realized after seeing that van and seeing that picture today that this guy, this filth ball, he is real. And he is the man that killed Victoria Vega. And he is the one that holds all the blame. Not us. We just loved her. Even you, Jade. We all just loved her."

"That's a wonderful outlook, Beck," said Andre from his seat.

Beck nodded. "Well, if I don't get some part of my life back on track, Tori will come back from the grave and kick my ass," he smirked.

Cat laughed. Everyone stared at her. It was the first time any one of them had laughed in a really long time. Everyone had forgotten what a great laugh Cat had. It was quite infectious.

Andre began to chuckle. He shoved his fist in his mouth to stifle his giggles but couldn't stop them. A hearty belly laugh burst out of him and he clutched at his stomach.

Robbie snorted. His wonderful cackle began to come out of him and rolled over onto his side, laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. Cat and Jade began to smile and soon joined in on the laughter. Beck couldn't help himself and he began to laugh as well, relishing the sound of happiness.

_You're doing good, babe. _

Beck smiled at Tori's voice. He looked up towards the ceiling and sighed.

Love you, my sweet Tor.

_Love you too. _

* * *

><p>Vartenz and Haylson and all of their backup stood ready. Haylson held his gun at the ready and banged on the door of Ted Carmichael's house.<p>

"Ted Carmichael! Police!"

It was no shock to them that no one answered the door. Vartenze leaned his head close to the door. He could hear a body scrambling around in there.

"He's in there," Vartenz nodded at Haylson.

"Break it down."

With a mighty kick, Vartenz broke down the door. He heard the terrified squeal come from Ted Carmichael as he raced for the back door.

"Oh, no you don't!" bellowed Haylson. He quickly stuffed his gun back into the holster and took off like a shot after Carmichael. He managed to grab the man around the middle before he could jump out the back window and he threw him to the floor.

"I didn't do nothing!" Carmichael squeaked as Haylson cuffed him.

"If you didn't do anything then why did you run?" Vartenz snapped as he helped Haylson pull the man to his feet.

"Why am I being arrested?" asked Carmichael.

"We're bringing you in for questioning. That's all," said Haylson. "We're also doing some DNA testing on you."

"I didn't hurt that Vega girl!" shouted Carmichael.

Vartenz and Haylson stared at each other. "Who ever said anything about a Vega girl?" asked Haylson.

"Wha-?"

"Come on!" snarled Vartenz, wrenching the cuffed man away from Haylson and marching him right outside. He and Haylson stuffed Carmichael into the back of a squad car and prepared to take him away. But all of the sudden, a voice stopped them.

"Haylson! Vartenz! Look!" One of the other backup officers came running out of the house, holding up something wrapped in a handkerchief.

Vartenz got out of the car and approached the officer. In his hands was a almost fully loaded pistol.

"It only has one shot missing," said the officer.

Vartenz glanced back at Carmichael who was shaking like a leaf in the backseat. "One shot, eh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe, cliffhanger!<strong>

**Okay, I noticed I made a slight mistake. In chapter five, which a novelist wrote, when she had the van ram into the boys, there was no license plate on the back of the car. In chapter six when I took over, I had a license plate on the back of the car. I don't really want to fiddle around with it so pretty please, ignore that mistake! Also, I made up the names for Tori's parents before I found out what their real names were so I am sticking with the names I have. **

**So, they have the slime who killed Tori. Whataya think so far? Hope you enjoyed!**

**Also, what do you think about Tori's friends finally coming to terms with her death? Give me some uptake on that. Would absolutely love it! **

**Will try to get the next chapter up sooner than I did with this one. There is probably going to be about three more, rounding it out to an even ten. I'm not sure. **

**Reviews are loved!**


	8. Random Gifts

**~~~Random Gifts~~~**

Juan Vega stared at the phone that had just gone dead. Maciella Vega walked into the living room and saw him with a stony face.

"Juan?" Maciella sat down in front of him. "Juan?" she snapped her fingers in his face. Juan came out of it and looked at her.

"Oh, Maci..."

"Juan, what's wrong?" Maciella looked a little afraid. "They have him. The guy who killed Tori. They have him."

* * *

><p>"Do you have the results?"<p>

Haylson and Vartenz were down in the DNA lab at the station. Dr. Rebecca Warren, the pathologist, was standing in front of them, the results in her hand.

"I'm sorry it took so long. I ran it twice. This Ted Carmichael...he is a perfect match to the DNA found on Victoria Vega's body. The DNA under her fingers nails, the semen found in her body, everything. And the pistol? The bullet that we took out of Tori's head and the powder residue on her face, it matches Carmichael's gun. Everything is a absolute match," said Dr. Warren.

"Would you be open to testifying this evidence in court?" asked Vartenz.

"Absolutely," said Dr. Warren.

"This is the man that killed Tori Vega."

* * *

><p>Beck stared at his cell phone, his mother sitting next to him on the sofa. His father was standing behind them.<p>

"Honey, what is it?" Donna whispered.

"The DNA results are back," he murmured, still staring at his cell phone.

"Well?" said Ross.

"Carmichael's DNA was all over the evidence kit. And the gun that the police found, it was missing one bullet. The bullet that they took out of...perfect match. Everything matched. Carmichael killed Tori," Beck muttered, placing the phone on the coffee table.

"Are you all right?" asked Donna, placing her hand on Beck's elbow.

Beck remained still. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I'm glad that they've got him. I'm glad that Tori's killer is going to be brought to justice. But-"

"But what?" Donna asked gently.

"But it makes it all so final. It makes it so...real. Tori is actually gone. Gone forever," he whispered. A tear fell from his eye.

"Oh, honey..." Donna very tentatively wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders. Beck didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry," Beck said, quickly brushing his hand across his eyes.

"Don't apologize, Beck," said Ross as he sat down on the other side of his son.

"It's just that...Oh, God, she's gone!" A sob escaped from Beck's lips. He clamped his hand over his mouth to stop any more from escaping. He sighed quietly and almost fell into Ross's arms. Ross tightened his hold on his boy, allowing him to break down.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay," Ross murmured into his hair, kissing the top of his head.

They remained like that for several moments, the Olivers holding their son like they were never going to let him go.

* * *

><p>Beck slept fitfully that night, thoughts of Ted Carmichael still running through his head. He just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he still needed to do.<p>

It was just that ever since Carmichael had been arrested, it all seemed kind of final. But then again, it wasn't final.

He needed to confront Carmichael. He needed to tell the man exactly what he thought of him.

And he needed to say goodbye.

* * *

><p>"We need you to tell us the truth, Mr. Carmichael. Why did you kill Victoria Vega?" Haylson demanded for the fourth time.<p>

They had been grilling Carmichael for the last hour and he hadn't broken.

Vartenz stood back, watching the man that was sitting across from his partner at the table. He wasn't very tall, with a shrunken appearance to him. His hair was a dirty straw color and his eyes were dank and the color of mud. His eyes were also beady and darting back and forth between the large officers.

"Listen to me, Carmichael. You can probably cut a deal if you talk. But if you don't say a word, you will go away and be put on death row!" threatened Vartenz.

Carmichael just looked at them, not even blinking. Then, slowly and dangerously, he leaned forward. His mud eyes bored right into Haylson's gray ones.

"She got in my way. I had to get rid of her," he whispered.

"Excuse me?" asked Haylson.

"Just face it, pigs. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Carmichael.

Haylson leaned forward, looking right into Carmichael's piggy eyes. The two men stared each other down for several moments before Haylson finally broke the eye contact. He got to his feet and walked out of the interrogation room, Vartenz following him.

"What is it?" asked Vartenz, looking at his worriedly.

"He's telling the truth," said Haylson, turning around and crossing his arms.

"What?"

"He's telling the truth, Vartenz. It was just a random killing. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The son of a bitch just felt like killing her. He didn't have to but he did," snapped Haylson.

Vartenz sighed, slumped against the wall. He looked defeated and older than ever.

"Why? Why do people have the urge to kill somebody for the hell of it?" muttered Vartenz.

"I don't know," Haylson. "I just don't know."

* * *

><p>"Joe?"<p>

Haylson looked up from his computer to see Juan Vega standing over him.

"Hi, Juan," whispered Haylson as he sat back.

"Can I see him? Please?" Juan asked quietly. He quickly grabbed the chair across from his desk and sat down in it, as close to Haylson as he could.

Haylson shook his head. "I don't think you should, Juan."

Juan gave a shiver of upset. "Listen to me, Joe. I need to talk to him. I need to confront him. I need to ask him why he killed my baby!"

"Because he could," Haylson said coldly.

Juan froze and stared at him for a second.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He killed her because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Juan. He raped and killed her just because he could. He was at the hang out that night and she was the one that he chose."

Juan grew silent, staring off into space. Haylson watched him, a gentle expression on his face.

"Juan?" he whispered after a short amount of time.

Juan turned back to him, "You might want to check it out and see if this guy is a serial killer," he said.

Haylson nodded. "We've already thought of that."

Juan quickly got to his feet. "I've gotta go." He shoved the chair back into it's original place by the desk and left the station abruptly. Haylson stared after him, a look of sadness on his face.

* * *

><p>Juan walked as fast as he could out of the station, almost running into the cool afternoon air. And then he ran right smack into Beck.<p>

"Mr. Vega?" Beck reached out and grabbed Juan's elbows to steady him. "What's happened? Are you all right?"

Juan was breathing heavily. "I just talked to Haylson..." he choked out.

"What's wrong?" Beck asked again.

"It was just a random thing, Beck. He killed her just because he could. He killed her just because he could," Juan repeated again.

Beck stared at him for a second. "What?" he forced out.

"The son of a bitch murdered her because he wanted to. He didn't have to. She didn't do anything to him. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Juan covered his mouth with his hand, determined not to break down.

Beck stood back, still staring at him. "What are you going to do?" he whispered.

"I'm going to make sure this man gets everything that he deserves," he whispered.

* * *

><p>Juan arrived home as quickly as he could. He ran into his house at full speed, intending on finding Maciella. But instead, he found something large and furry sitting on his kitchen floor.<p>

"Juan? Oh, Juan, you're home! Look what came!" trilled Maciella, dashing down the stairs and into the living room.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, all thoughts of what had just happened flying right out of his head.

"It's a puppy, you nitwit," Maciella laughed, handing him a manila envelope. "You have to read this. You will just laugh your butt off."

"Try me," said Juan, taking the envelope from his wife, keeping one eye still on the dog who was trying desperately to jump on his front, but was having trouble due to Maciella restraining her.

Juan tore open the envelope and read through it quickly. His eyes widened in shock and he read it again. Then for the first time in months, a smile began to flicker over his weary face.

"You're kidding," he said, looking back at Maciella.

Maciella shook her head. "Nope."

* * *

><p>Three Days Later<p>

Beck had returned home after his confrontation with Juan. He hadn't even bothered to go into the station to talk to Carmichael. For the next three days, he barely left his room, sinking into depression again.

But something odd had happened on the final day. Andre and Robbie had showed up and dragged him out of the house, forcing him to go out to eat and see a movie. So he stayed out for a few hours with the guys and came home, just as depressed as ever.

As he walked into his home, he was greeted by something large and fuzzy bombarding into his front.

"Whoa!" He grabbed onto the door to regain his balance but was then knocked to the floor with the hairy creature jumping onto his chest and licking his face. In the confusion, he realized it was a St. Bernard puppy.

"Where the heck did you come from?" he asked the dog as he pulled himself into a sitting position and managed to situate the animal in front of him, using all of his strength to hold her back.

"Beck?" Beck heard his mother's voice calling him from the kitchen. Donna dashed out from the other room, holding a manila envelope in her hand. Ross was right behind her, both of them looking confused but also smiling.

"What is going on?" Beck asked as he rose to his feet, keeping a hand low to let the puppy sniff and lick.

"This came today, along with that half-bear," said Donna, holding out the envelope to him. "We didn't think we should open it."

"Although we were tempted with that creature showing up," said Ross, a hint of a smile on his face.

Beck took the envelope from his mother and quickly tore it open. He scanned over the contents, his eyes becoming wider and wider with surprise.

"It's a short will. And also a letter from a dog breeder in New York. When Tori was in New York checking out that school a few months ago, she met this woman and bought a puppy from her. Oh, my God..." his voice trailed off.

Ross took the envelope back from his son and read the letter out loud.

"'Dear Mr. Oliver, By now, you have discovered that you have a new little creature in your midst. Well, actually, a big creature. Tori Vega came to visit me four months ago and discovered that I was breeding my bitch to a stud. She bought a female puppy and asked for when the puppies were old enough to be placed, to contact her so she could come out and pick up the dog.

'Well, I heard about Miss Vega's tragic death. I contacted her family and told them about the puppy. They realized that Miss Vega had been intending on giving the puppy to you. So, I hope that you will give her a wonderful home. If you are unable to do that, then please call me at this number and I will make arrangements to take her back. Sincerely, Catherine Holt.'"

Ross looked back at Beck. He was on his knees, stroking the puppy's hairy chest. Large ropes of drool were falling from the puppy's mouth but he didn't seem to care.

"She left me a puppy," whispered Beck, finally glancing up at his parents.

"Yeah, baby," said Donna, stroking her son's hair.

"Is it okay?" he asked, looking right at his father who wasn't too keen on dogs since that Rottweiler that Jade had tried to give him a few years ago had torn him to shreds. Jade had gotten it wrong that day. It had never been a Rottweiler that he had wanted. Even though he had to give her credit for trying.

Ross looked at the large ball of fuzz that was now a puddle on the floor after Beck rubbing her all over and chuckled.

"Yeah, it's okay," he laughed.

"So this is why you kicked me out of the house," said Beck, his attention on his new dog.

Not even answering his statement, Donna kneeled down by him. For a second, she had a flashback of when Beck was eight years old and wanted a Saint Bernard puppy they had seen at the mall.

"What are you going to name her?" she asked.

Beck didn't even look at his parents as he answered.

"Angel."

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think? Absolutely, positively, just the saddest damn thing you have ever read? Or is it the cutest thing? I'm not exactly sure. <strong>

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Two more chappies coming up. It is going to be an even ten chapters. Hope you enjoyed immensely. Beck will finally confront Carmichael in the next chapter. It was my point to have it look like he would here but then recieve an amazing gift from Tori instead. **

**Dedicated to the wonderful a novelist who began this story and was kind enough to let me take it over. By the way, we are going to be writing a story together! I'm not exactly sure when it's going to be up but we are trying to get the story up as soon as we can. It is going to be Tori/Beck pairing! **

**Love to you all! **


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